Public and private partnerships continue to deploy new broadband access and adoption projects across all 50 states toward the goal of getting every American home and business connected to high-speed Internet. Here is a look at some of those new broadband stories from around the country:

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Broadband access and adoption projects continue to be announced across all 50 states, working to bring high-speed Internet access to every American home and business. Here is a closer look at some of the new projects getting off the ground:

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Connected Nation announced a multi-state launch of a new interactive broadband mapping application in Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada and South Carolina. The maps, which are now accessible through the Connect Michigan www.connectmi.org; Connect Minnesota www.connectmn.org; Connect Nevada www.connectnv; and Connect South Carolina www.connectsc.org websites give local residents a place to find providers at their address, check their current Internet speeds, request broadband service in their area and provide feedback on the initiatives.

A public demonstration of the program’s mapping feature, BroadbandStat, was recently held via a series of webinars to encourage citizen feedback and to demonstrate the broadband expansion scenario building that can be achieved by using the tool.

The maps, which depict broadband services currently available down to the street level, will be updated on a routine basis to reflect “real-time” broadband availability so that policy makers, Internet providers, and the general public can use the maps to make informed decisions about broadband investment and expansion.

Connected Nation will continuously refine the maps as more data is gathered—relying upon citizen feedback as part of the validation process. Residents, businesses, and any interested parties with knowledge of the state broadband landscape are asked to go to their respective initiative state website to provide input that will be used to verify and ensure the highest level of accuracy for the broadband maps.

Connected Nation is a Washington DC based firm specializing in public-private broadband partnerships. Read more about their work here.

A new report from ID Insight finds that states with the lowest average income actually in fact have the greatest broadband competition. Leading the pack are Arkansas, North Dakota and South Carolina. From the report: "We see that the five states with the lowest income have the most competition, while the five states with the highest income have the least competition.”

The report also finds that states with larger populations do not necessarily have the best access to service providers. For instance, Nebraska was found to have greater consumer choice than New York. “It very well may be that specifically because less affluent states did not attract one of the largest providers (at least for a while), several smaller regional or local providers were able to establish stronger market positions," the report concludes.

You can read the full ID Insight report here and read the Ars Technica story here.

Three more states have announced broadband infrastructure projects designed to provide high-speed Internet access to underserved communities and improve local institutions. Here is a look at some of the new projects getting underway:

Missouri: Local broadband provider City Utilities (CU) is seeking a $13.1 million broadband stimulus grant to build 100 miles of high-speed fiber. The funding would be backed by $6.1 million in local matching dollars. "If we get the grant, we'll be able to increase the core bandwidth capacity, which means our clients will be able to send out larger amounts of data," CU spokesman Joel Alexander said. "More bandwidth also has a bearing on speed. It should make it faster." The proposal is backed by Gov. Jay Nixon, who has also endorsed 10 other state broadband projects. Read the News-Leader story here.

Oregon: Lane, Klamath and Douglas Counties have been awarded an $8.3 million dollar grant to build out broadband networks. Many of the high-speed Internet infrastructure projects will focus on “critical institutions,” including fire departments, community centers and small businesses. Read the Daily Emerald story here.

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Broadband for America (BfA) today announced that the Clarendon Parenting & Family Literacy Center in Manning, South Carolina was awarded a $25,000 grant for their focus on digital literacy and increasing broadband adoption and use.  The Broadband for America grant will also be used to purchase computers and supplies for the center.

U.S. House Majority Whip, Representative James E. Clyburn (SC-06) said, “The Clarendon Center is an exceptional example of the value of broadband because it allows people who might not otherwise have access to the Internet to benefit from it.  Today, in South Carolina, there are citizens living in rural areas who do not have the same access to broadband Internet as those living in the large cities.  We must close the gap between the connected and unconnected and this is certainly a step in the right direction.”

The Honorable Kevin Johnson, Mayor of Manning, South Carolina said, “This grant shows the value that private companies place on bringing broadband within the reach of every South Carolinian.  With these resources more people will be able to find medical and dietary help on-line, as well as look for a job, or continue their education.”

You can read more about today’s event here.